1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a processing system and method for connecting a remote USB device automatically, and more particularly, to a processing system and method for connecting a remote USB device automatically, by using a USB over IP technique to connect/disconnect a user computer to/from a USB device.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development of computer technologies, a variety of computer peripheral devices come to the market. In order for the various devices to communicate with each other and have a high enough transmission speed, the computer peripheral devices are connected through the use of a USB technique. For example, a USB device, such as a printer, fax machine or business machine, may be connected to a computer via a USB and used for the computer. Accordingly, with the development of a network technique and the demand for sharing a USB device, a USB over LP technique comes with the tide of fashion.
The USB over IP technique connects a plurality of computers via a network with a relay server, and the relay server is connected to a USB device via a USB port. The computers are connected to the USB device only when they are using the USB device. In other words, though the computers may be connected to the USB device via the network and a transmission line, the USB device is not connected to any one of the computers unless some of the computers propose connection requests. The remaining computers that do not propose the connection requests may not obtain services. Although the USB over IP technique may realize a plurality of computers sharing a common USB device via a network, since the computers are connected to the USB device via the relay server and USB connection, if the computers that propose the connection requests and are connected to the USB device are still connected to the USB device even after the USB device have provided the services, the other computers may not be connected to the USB device. In practice, the other computers that plan to use the USB device may not propose their connection requests to the USB device unless the computers that are connected to the USB device are disconnected from the USB device. Accordingly, users have to keep watching a connection status of a remote USB device. Therefore, it is inconvenient to use the current USB over IP technique to connect the computers to a remote USB device.
FIG. 1 illustrates a user operating interface having manual connection tools 30 provided by a remote USB device connection system according to the prior art. The manual connection tools 30 provide connecting and disconnecting functions. However, these two functions allow a user to manually connect or disconnect a remote USB device. The operating interface only lists available devices for the user's selection. Accordingly, the user has to select a USB device to which he wants to connect personally. The current remote USB device connection system merely allows a user to manually connect a USB device, and the user has to manually connect or disconnect the USB device, which is inconvenient for the user's operation.
Therefore, how to make a USB device be connected to a plurality of computers and provide services, and solve the problem that a computer that is connected to the USB device is still connected to the USB device even after the computer has obtained the service provided by the USB device, is becoming one of the most urgent issues in the art.